“Philippians and Colossians,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Philippians and Colossians
Philippians and Colossians were likely written while Paul was under arrest in Rome. Remarkably, it was during this difficult time that Paul wrote of “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” These two letters are consistently positive and optimistic. They include some of Paul’s clearest and most earnest teachings about Jesus Christ. Paul testified that every tongue would someday confess that Jesus is the Christ and that we can do all things through Him. He testified of Jesus Christ’s preeminence over all of God’s creations. He taught that by building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, we can avoid being led astray by worldly philosophies and traditions.
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Background and Context
To whom were Philippians and Colossians written and why?
Paul wrote letters to the Philippians and Colossians while he was either in prison or under house arrest. Despite these circumstances, these letters contain some of Paul’s most optimistic and encouraging writings.
Philippi was an important city in Macedonia. It was the earliest branch of the Church to be established in this region. After his initial visit in around AD 50, Paul revisited the Philippian Saints during his third missionary journey in around AD 56. In his epistle, Paul expressed gratitude for the affection and financial assistance the Saints in Philippi had provided him during his second missionary journey and his imprisonment.
Paul wrote that the Philippians “always obeyed” in both his presence and absence. One scholar observed: “What other letter to a church made such a statement? Paul could not say anything like that to the Corinthians or Galatians, so the Philippians stand at the high end of the spectrum of faithfulness. What Paul would teach them is most revealing on the subject of how exaltation is obtained.”
Colossae (sometimes spelled “Colosse”) was located about 100 miles east of Ephesus. The city had previously been one of the most prominent in the area. By Paul’s time it “had become a small merchant town on the trade route from Rome to the east.” Paul had likely not yet visited the Colossian Saints before he wrote his epistle to them.
“The message to the Colossians can be summarized in three major topics: the preeminence of Christ, false doctrines that seek to undermine the doctrine of Christ, and principles that will help us become like Christ.”
How did Paul’s imprisonment help advance the gospel?
Paul explained that his imprisonment served to advance the gospel. His mention of the palace in verse 13 was likely a reference to the palace guard and other visitors that heard Paul preach the gospel from prison. In addition, other Church members drew courage from Paul’s example and became “much more bold to speak the word.”
Why did Jesus Christ take on the “form of a servant”?
Drawing on a Christian hymn, Paul encouraged the Philippian saints to follow the Savior’s example of obedience and humility. The hymn reveals that in the premortal realm, Jesus Christ was in the “form of God.” He had a divine nature, like God. By claiming His equality with God, Jesus Christ did “not rob God of His divinity.”
Jesus Christ humbly stepped down from His premortal Godhood and took the “form of a servant.” In other words, Jesus Christ willingly condescended from His premortal glory to take on the conditions of mortality. Paul taught that Jesus Christ’s equality with God uniquely qualified Him to be our Savior. After suffering death on the cross, God would exalt Jesus Christ and give Him “a name which is above every name.”
Paul’s message is similar to Nephi’s teachings about “the condescension of God.”
What does it mean “that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”?
“Confess” in this verse is translated from a Greek word that means agree, profess, or praise. Eventually all people will recognize that Jesus is the Christ, whether they chose to follow Him during their lives or not. The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants teach that this widespread recognition will come at Judgment Day.
What does it mean to “work out your … salvation with fear and trembling”?
In Philippians 2:4–12, Paul taught that Jesus Christ “humbled himself” and suffered “death [on] the cross” so He could become our Savior. Considering the love and obedience shown by Jesus Christ, Paul exhorts us to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling.”
The Greek word translated as “work out” does not mean to “work for [your] salvation” in the sense that we are earning our salvation through good works. Rather, it implies ongoing efforts of discipleship. Referring to verse 12, President Dallin H. Oaks asked, “Could [it] mean that the sum total of our own righteousness will win us salvation and exaltation?” No, he explained, for “after all our obedience and good works, we cannot be saved from the effect of our sins without the grace extended by the atonement of Jesus Christ.”
“Fear” is translated from the Greek word phobos, which can have both negative meanings (afraid, fearful, or frightened) and positive meanings (respect, reverence, or awe). In this case, the connotation is reverence for the Lord. In verse 13, Paul points out that it is “God who is at work in you, enabling you … to work for his good pleasure.”
Whom was Paul warning the Philippians about?
The term dog in the scriptures usually refers to an unworthy person. The “dogs” Paul spoke of were Judaizers—people who taught that converts to Christianity must follow certain Jewish customs, including circumcision. In sarcasm, Paul referred to Judaizers as those who mutilate the flesh, or “the concision.” On the other hand, Paul referred to God’s covenant people as those of “the circumcision.” Paul was teaching that those who worship God and rejoice in Christ are the true “circumcision,” or covenant people.
Why did Paul sacrifice so much to follow Jesus Christ?
Paul gave up many things when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, including his prestigious position as a Jewish Pharisee. Rather than focusing on his sacrifices and past experiences, Paul spoke of pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.”
Paul found comfort in Jesus Christ, and looked forward to being counted among “the fellowship of his sufferings.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “When we take Jesus’ yoke upon us, this admits us eventually to what Paul called the ‘fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings’ [Philippians 3:10]. Whether illness or aloneness, injustice or rejection, etc., our comparatively small-scale sufferings, if we are meek, will sink into the very marrow of the soul. We then better appreciate not only Jesus’ sufferings for us, but also His matchless character, moving us to greater adoration and even emulation.”
Why did Paul address the preeminence of Jesus Christ?
One of the false practices adopted by some of the Colossian Saints was the worship of angels. This resulted in misunderstandings about the divinity of Jesus Christ. Paul’s message clearly emphasized the preeminence of Jesus Christ, both among Heavenly Father’s creations and as the head of the Church.
Paul testified that “all fulness dwell[s]” in Jesus Christ. Paul wanted the Colossian Saints to understand that Jesus Christ and His gospel are superior to all other philosophies and religions.
Why did Paul describe God as invisible?
By describing God as invisible, Paul meant that He is unseen but not that He is unseeable. The Apostle’s point was that although God is presently unseen by our human eyes, Jesus Christ’s appearance and character demonstrate what the Father is like. President Jeffrey R. Holland taught, “In all that Jesus came to say and do, including and especially in His atoning suffering and sacrifice, He was showing us who and what God our Eternal Father is like.”
What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the firstborn of every creature?
“Jesus was the firstborn of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, and the first to rise from the dead in the Resurrection.”
What does it mean to walk in the Lord?
Elder David A. Bednar taught: “The Apostle Paul admonished believers who had received the Lord: ‘So walk ye in him’ [Colossians 2:6].
“Walking in and with the Savior highlights two vital aspects of discipleship: (1) obeying God’s commandments, and (2) remembering and honoring the sacred covenants that connect us to the Father and the Son.”
Was slavery commonly practiced during New Testament times?
See “Philemon 1:10–17. What do we know about slavery in New Testament times?”
Learn More
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
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David L. Frischknecht, “The Condescension of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Dec. 2011, 51–55
Work Out Your Own Salvation
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Dallin H. Oaks, “What Think Ye of Christ?,” Ensign, Nov. 1988, 65–68
Every Tongue Confess That Jesus Is the Christ
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Bonnie H. Cordon, “Never Give Up an Opportunity to Testify of Christ,” Liahona, May 2023, 10–12
The Preeminence of Christ
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Grandeur of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 70–73